Can Country Music Make You Sick?
There is one thing that a number of prominent medical research organizations have come to agree upon-that classical music can be used to produce positive healing effects. That led me to ask this question: If classical music heals, then does music that you don’t like actually hurt you? The answer to that question seems to be yes!
Organizations such as Mayo Clinic, the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Stanford University, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and the Cleveland Hospital have all conducted extensive studies on the health benefits of joyful music.
The inquiry was based on the now well-known concept originally discovered by Norman Cousins and detailed in his book Anatomy of an Illness, which concluded that joyful experiences create positive health benefits. A study presented at the American Heart Association 2008 Scientific Sessions demonstrated that when you listen to music that you associate with positive emotions, it has a positive effect on reducing your mental stress and also opens up your circulatory system to function better.
In fact, the researchers found that when volunteers were measured, their overall cardiovascular system was improved by joyful music. The researchers found that the subjects’ blood flow was affected in the following ways:
- Listening to enjoyable music increased blood flow by 26%;
- Listening to anxiety-provoking music decreased blood flow by 6%;
- Watching humorous videos increased blood flow by 19%; and
- Listening to relaxation tapes increased blood flow by 11%.
In other words, when your mental stress is reduced by engaging in enjoyable activities such as watching humorous videos or listening to music you enjoy, your overall stress is reduced and your health is improved. In fact, the magnitude of increased blood flow could be as high as that produced by aerobic exercise.
In addition, it has been discovered by a number of researchers that the perfect instrument for the maximum benefit is one of the oldest instruments known to man: the harp. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic has actually commissioned the Cleveland Orchestra to compose specific classical pieces to play for patients during brain operations. Now during the process of treating people with traumatic brain injuries, strokes, depression, and even multiple sclerosis, the doctors choose to have music playing in the background.
Harpist Tami Briggs was quoted in “Music as Medicine” by Bill Briggs as saying that the harp “goes to the deepest places of the body that need to be healed.” She went on to say that when she plays the harp at the bedside of patients, she is able to see the blood pressure monitors actually going down and oxygenation rates going up. She attributes that to the harp assisting the human brain to go to a more peaceful place where it can find deeper relaxation.
Ms. Briggs when on to say that “the harp is the only instrument that has 20 to 50 strings and is open, unlike a violin. When a harpist strikes a chord, it also opens vibrations in strings above and below the string that is plucked. Those vibrations are absorbed by the body.”
So the true answer regarding whether or not country music hurts? It depends upon the listener! If you love country, then it can be healing for you. If you hate to listen to certain types of music… then don’t do it. Whatever type of music provides you with deep enjoyment will contribute to your healing process.
I think I’m going to sit down with a cup of Costa Rican coffee now and listen to a little Gene Autry.
Ice Cream and Annuities
Seniors love ‘em-and lawyers hate ‘em: annuities.
Based on my ample experience with both senior citizens and lawyers, I am always amazed at the depths of both the affection and the rage that are evoked by the subject of annuities. Mentioning the word “annuities” at a roomful attorneys is like the sound of a bell to a prize-fighter. They immediately launch into a review of the sins of annuities, aiming for a knock-out.
Nonetheless, annuities remain one of the most frequent investments purchased in America. In fact, since the most recent 40%-plus stock market slump, annuities have risen in popularity.
If annuities are so bad, how can it be that the majority of seniors own at least one annuity?
What is an annuity, anyway? Annuities are an investment contract between a buyer and an insurance company. In a way, annuities are a little like ice cream. Ice cream comes in strawberry, vanilla, chocolate-marshmallow, mint chip, moose-tracks, and many more. Well, annuities come in more “flavors” than all the flavors at Baskin-Robbins, Ben & Jerry’s, and Cold Stone Creamery combined! You really cannot tell a good annuity from a bad annuity without a very careful review.
Annuities are backed by insurance companies and their reserves. Although annuities are not federally insured, it was interesting to see that our federal government chose to prop up AIG but let Lehman Brothers brokerage fail. AIG is the major seller and reinsurer of a large portion of the annuities sold in this country. Evidently, the government was unwilling to allow one of our largest insurance companies fail.
Immediate annuities are a contract wherein an insurance company promises to pay monthly payments for a term of years or based on one’s lifetime. Lifetime payments are often very attractive to retirees, because nobody wants to be out of money before they are out of breath. Lifetime immediate annuities start paying monthly checks in the first year of the investment. They act like pensions. In fact, almost all employer-sponsored pension plans purchase immediate annuities to pay the monthly checks to company plan retirees.
What makes an immediate annuity attractive to a retiree? Usually, the insurance company offers an initial interest rate above Certificate of Deposit rates. In addition, some insurance companies offer the purchaser a ‘bump’ in the imputed value of the money invested. Although these incentives look very attractive, please have the annuity contract reviewed by an independent professional who can interpret the true value of the investment. It’s also important to know what will happen after the initial ‘teaser interest rate’ has ended. What does the annuity actually guarantee as the minimum future interest rate?
A good place to compare actual returns on annuities is at www.immediateannuities.com. You can get a fast, free annuity quote online. Immediateannuities.com is reportedly the number one website for evaluating immediate annuities. There are lots of other resources available at their website to acquaint you with annuity language and insurance company ratings. Don’t buy any investment without some research and/or independent advice.
If you have more questions about the best ways to provide for yourself in the future, pick up the phone and dial the number below… my team may be able to help you decide what will work best for you and your family.
Is it Time to Put Mom Into an Assisted Living Facility?
The other day I ran into this informative article the describes what an assisted living community is and helps you decide if it’s time to go into an assisted living community. They also talk about the different ways to pay for assisted living.
When you’re looking for how you’re going to pay for assisted living – please be sure to contact your local elder law attorney and get access to all your options. If you’re a veteran, you may have benefits for which you are eligible. An experienced elder law attorney will make sure that you are aware of all the options available to you.
Feel free to contact me at 440-888-6448 and make an appointment.
When it is time for a family member to move to assisted living, caregivers and family members often have lots of questions. Here are the most common ones that caregivers have about finding assisted living.
What exactly is an assisted living community?
An assisted living facility is a community for seniors who cannot live independently. They provide mobility assistance and daily living care for bathing, dressing, toileting, grooming and eating.
What’s the difference between assisted living and a nursing home?
Assisted living does not provide medical care, such as treatment for specific conditions or diseases like Parkinson’s disease, or hospice care. The assisted living facility will assess the elder in deciding what kind of care his needs require. Nursing homes, on the other hand, are designed to house and assist individuals who have health conditions that require constant monitoring and the availability of medical personnel.
When is it time to consider assisted living for your parents?
An elder should make the move to assisted living if hiring in-home care is not an option. If your parent cannot perform daily living tasks like bathing, dressing, cooking and eating, then his safety is in danger. If your parent has severe mobility issues and cannot get around the house safely and on her own, she needs assistance. Lastly, if your parent is constantly confused, forgetful and sometimes wanders, he needs assisted living.
Are pets allowed?
Many allow pets. It is best to check with the facility.
Paying for Care
How much does assisted living cost and who pays the bill?
Although the cost for assisted living varies by the facility, the 2007 national average was $2,969 per month for a one-bedroom apartment with a private bath. The rate is significantly higher for seniors who require Alzheimer’s or dementiacare, with costs of $4,270 per month.
Residents of assisted living facilities use “private pay” to cover the costs. The way in which they pay is up to the individual. Some people use personal savings, pensions and/or social security to cover the costs. Some people also use long-term care insurance. Medicaid and other federal programs do not pay for the costs of assisted living. Some states offer waivers for assisted living for special circumstances. Check with your Area Agency on Aging to find out if your state offers a waiver.
An exception to private pay for assisted living is low-income or government subsidized communities. If your parent meets certain income and asset requirements, the government will subsidize the cost of the rent.
What happens if I run out of money when Mom is living there?
You have a few options to consider if this situation occurs. First, discuss your situation with the facility. Many times, the facility will be willing to negotiate some kind of agreement. These situations are handled on a case-by-case basis, but the facility may be able to reduce rent or set up a payment plan to cover past-due payments. Second, check with your state’s Agency on Aging to find out if there is an available program that may help you. Finally, check to see if your parent has any funds that you may not have tapped into or if she qualifies for low-income or government subsidized housing.
Unfortunately, residents in assisted living facilities do not have the same protection as those in nursing homes. Although the assisted living facility is required to give a 30-day notice of discharge, the resident is not protected from involuntary discharge. Exhaust all options to prevent this from happening.
Moving Elderly Parents to Assisted Living
How can caregivers deal with the guilt of moving a parent to assisted living?
Guilt is a feeling that many caregivers experience when they move an elderly parent into an assisted living facility. Don’t let guilt get the best of you! Always keep in mind that the move was the best option for your parent. You can still be a caregiver even when your parent moves. For example, you can make sure his apartment has personal touches. You can be a liaison between the assisted living staff and your parent. You still make sure that your parent’s needs are being met. Remember that you are doing your best to make sure that your parent is receiving the best care possible.
What can Dad bring with him?
Your parent can bring any of his personal items that can fit in the apartment. He can bring furniture, too.
Can a senior be denied?
It is possible. Once the facility assesses your parent’s health, it will decide if she is a good candidate. If your parent needs more care than assisted living provides, the facility will most likely refer her to skilled nursing, also known as a nursing home. Also, you or your parent needs to be able to pay for the cost of assisted living. If you or your parent cannot afford the costs, then the elder can be denied. Many assisted living communities (usually the reputable ones) have waiting lists, so although your parent may not have been denied, it may be a while before she can actually move into the community.
Are You Seeing These 8 Symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
I received this article from a friend and wanted to share it with all of you. It has some wonderful resources and links where you can get more information.
If you ARE seeing Alzheimer’s symptoms in your loved one – it’s best to start talking with them about what their life care plan is going to be. You want to make sure that their financial and healthcare goals are met and fulfilled. For this – it’s best to speak with an elder law attorney. Their job is to make sure that you understand all the options that are available to you. Because when your’e out of money, then you’re out of options.
We never want our clients to be out of options — Paul J. Stano, Esq.
Applying the word “Alzheimer’s” to someone close to you can be uncomfortable, even if the signs or symptoms have been adding up for some time. It’s much easier to gloss over strange behavior: “Oh, Mom’s just getting older.” Or to rationalize: “Well, we all forget things sometimes.”
Only a qualified physician can conclude with high certainty that a living person has Alzheimer’s disease. But the following eight symptoms are strongly associated with the disease. If you detect these signs in someone, it would be wise to seek a medical evaluation.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Memory Lapses
1. Does the person ask repetitive questions or retell stories within minutes of the first mention?
2. Does she forget the names of recent acquaintances or younger family members, such as grandchildren?
3. Are memory lapses growing progressively worse (such as affecting information that was previously very well known)?
4. Are they happening more frequently (several times a day or within short periods of time)?
5. Is this forgetfulness unusual for the person (such as sudden memory lapses in someone who prided herself on never needing grocery lists or an address book)?
Everyone forgets some things sometimes. But the person may have Alzheimer’s disease if you notice these kinds of lapses.
Having problems with memory is the first and foremost symptom noticed. It’s a typical Alzheimer’s symptom to forget things learned recently (such as the answer to a question, an intention to do something or a new acquaintance) but to still be able to remember things from the remote past (such as events or people from childhood, sometimes with explicit detail). In time, even long-term memories will be affected. But by then other Alzheimer’s symptoms will have appeared.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Confusion Over Words
1. Does the person have difficulty finding the “right” word when she’s speaking?
2. Does she forget or substitute words for everyday things (such as “the cooking thingamajig” for pot or “hair fixer” for comb)? Of course, it’s normal to occasionally blank on a word, especially words not often used. But it’s considered a red flag for Alzheimer’s if this happens with growing frequency and if the needed words are simple or commonplace ones.
Trouble with words can be a very frustrating experience for the speaker. She may stall during a conversation, fixating on finding a particular word. She may replace the right word with another word. This substitute could be similar enough that you could guess at her meaning (“hair dryer” instead of “hairdresser”), especially early on in the disease process. Or it could be completely different (“bank” instead of “hairdresser”) or nonsensical (“hairydoo”).
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Marked Changes in Mood or Personality
1. Is the person who’s usually assertive more subdued (or vice versa)?
2. Does she withdraw, even from family and friends, perhaps in response to problems with memory or communication?
3. Has she developed mood swings, anxiety or frustration, especially in connection with embarrassing memory lapses or noticeable communication problems?
4. Has she developed uncharacteristic fears of new or unknown environments or situations, or developed a distrust of others, whether strangers or familiar people?
5. Do you see signs of depression (including changes in sleep, appetite, mood)?
Mood shifts are a difficult sign to link decisively to Alzheimer’s disease because age and any medical condition may spark changes in someone’s mood, personality or behavior. In combination with other Alzheimer’s symptoms, however, changes such as those described above may contribute to a suspicion of the disease. A person with Alzheimer’s may also become restless and/or aggressive, but usually in later stages of the disease.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Trouble With Abstract Thinking
1. How well does the person handle relatively simple mathematical tasks, such as balancing a checkbook?
2. Is she having trouble paying bills or keeping finances in order, tasks she previously had no problem completing?
3. Does she have trouble following along with a discussion, understanding an explanation or following instructions?
4. Abstract thinking becomes increasingly challenging for someone with Alzheimer’s, especially if the topic is complex or if the reasoning is sequential or related to cause and effect.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Difficulty Completing Familiar Activities
1. Has the person begun to have trouble preparing meals?
2. Is she less engaged in a hobby that once absorbed her (bridge, painting, crossword puzzles)?
3. Does she stop in the middle of a project, such as baking or making a repair, and fail to complete it?
4. Has she stopped using a particular talent or skill that once gave her pleasure (sewing, singing, playing the piano)?
Activities with various different steps, however routine and familiar, can become difficult to complete for a person with Alzheimer’s. Your parent might become distracted or lose track of where she is in the process, feeling confused. Or she might just lose interest altogether and leave a project unfinished. Alzheimer’s, or some other form of dementia, is especially suspect when the difficult or abandoned activity is something the person formerly delighted in and excelled at or used to engage in frequently.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Disorientation
1. Has the person begun to be disoriented in new or unfamiliar environments (such as a hospital or airport)?
2. Has she become disoriented in an environment she knows well?
3. Does she wander off and get lost in public (or get lost when driving or after parking)?
4. Does she lose track of the time, day, month or year? For example, after being reminded about a future doctor’s appointment over the phone, she may start getting ready for the appointment right away. Or she may have trouble keeping appointments and remembering other events or commitments. These examples of disorientation are all typical Alzheimer’s symptoms, more so in later stages of the disease but sometimes early on as well.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Misplacing Items
1. Does the person “lose” items often?
2. Do those items turn up in unusual places (such as a wallet in the freezer)?
3. Losing track of glasses, keys and papers happens to most adults sometimes, whether due to age or just a busy lifestyle. However, it may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s if this behavior escalates and if items are sometimes stored in inappropriate or unusual places and your parent doesn’t remember having put them there.
Alzheimer’s Symptom: Poor or Impaired Judgment
1. Has the person recently made questionable decisions about money management?
2. Has she made odd choices regarding self-care (such as dressing inappropriately for the weather or neglecting to bathe)?
3. Is it hard for her to plan ahead (such as figuring out what groceries are needed or where to spend a holiday)? Difficulty with decision making can be related to other possible symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as lapses in memory, personality changes and trouble with abstract thinking. Inappropriate choices are an especially worrisome sign, as your parent may make unsound decisions about her safety, health or finances.
Many of these Alzheimer’s symptoms go unnoticed for a long time. That’s because they’re often subtle or well concealed by the person (or a spouse), who may be understandably freaked out by the changes she’s noticing in her own behavior. Some patterns of behavior take time to make themselves obvious.
If you suspect Alzheimer’s, keep track of what you’re noticing. Ask others who know her what they think. Encourage her to see a doctor.
This article, written by Caring.com senior editor Paula Spencer, originally appeared on that site. Used with permission.
Is Long Term Care Tax Deductible?
If you’ve recently had a loved one enter into long term care, you might be wondering if the cost of long term care is tax deductible. This article will provide you with a summary of information about the tax treatment of long term care services. However, each individual should consult their own tax advisor before making decisions regarding the tax deductibiltiy of assisted living. Alzheimer’s and skilled nursing care expenses.
The cost of “qualified long term care” is a deductible medical expense. Since assisted living can be long term, this deduction may apply.
“Qualified long term care” services are necessary diagnostic, preventive, therapeutic, curing, treating, mitigating and rehabilitative services and maintenance or personal care services required by a chronically ill individual provided under a plan of care presentated by a licensed health-care practitioner.
To qualify as chronically ill, an individual must be certified by a physician or other licensed health care practitioner (e.g. nurse, social worker, et.c) as unable to perform without substantial assistance at least two activities of daily living for at least 90 days due to a loss of functional capacity or as requiring substancial supervision for protection due to severe cognitive impairment (memory loss, disorientation, etc) Of course. a victim of Alzheimer’s disease qualifies.
If you are paying for a parent’s bill or portion, you may also be able to deduct medical expenses. For example, a taxpayer undertaking to cover the long-term care of an elderly parent or grandparent may be able to include these costs along with his own medical expenses on his return. They may be included if the parent or grandparent is the taxpayer’s dependent. For these purposes, the test will generally be met of the taxpayer is providing over 50% of the support of the parent or grandparent (including medical costs). (The taxpayer may not be able to claim a dependency exemption if the parent or grandparent has gross income above $3,650 in 2010 or is filing a joint return, but will still be able to include the medical costs with his own.)
***** This article should not be treated as tax or legal advice. All families should consult with a tax advisor or elder care attorney with regards to their individual situation before making any care decisions based on possible tax deductibility of these long term care costs. An elder law attorney can develop a long term care plan to meet the criteria described above.